Wingard, West headline new Bloody Disgusting film
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
EXCLUSIVE: Pretty much every list of hot young horror directors includes two names: Adam Wingard and Ti West. Now they’re getting behind the camera on the same film, according to the movie’s producer.
Wingard is the filmmaker behind “You’re Next,” the well-received breakout in Toronto about a couple who fight back against some ghastly threats in the woods. West is the 31-year-old director of the minimalist “The Roost,” the buzzy “The House of the Devil” and the upcoming haunted-hotel pic “The Innkeepers.”
They’ll each direct segments in ‘V/H/S,” a feature-length picture composed of six linked short films from a slew of horror comers. ‘V/H/S’ will be produced by Bloody Disgusting -- yes, that Bloody Disgusting -- the popular horror site that’s getting into the production and distribution game.
“The Signal” co-director David Bruckner, mumblecore pioneer Joe Swanberg, “I Sell the Dead” helmer Glenn McQuaid and YouTube breakouts Chad Villella and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin direct the other four segments in the movie.
Described as ‘The Shining’ meets ‘The Blair Witch Project’ by producer and Bloody Disgusting founder Brad Miska, ‘V/H/S’ is a found-footage film about oddballs who burglarize a country house only to find tape filled with cryptic video. Wingard’s piece is the wraparound segment that ties all the others together.
The micro-budget film, which is currently in production, grew out of relationships Miska develoepd with filmmakers in his years covering the horror world; it’s being financed and produced by the Hollywood management company The Collective, which co-owns Bloody Disgusting. The principals say that if ‘V/H/S’ is well-received, they may produce other movies as well.
BD, as we explore in tomorrow’ s Times, is also getting into the distribution business. Through a program called Bloody Disgusting Selects, it’s releasing Lucky McKee’s ‘The Woman,’ the controversial Sundance film about a man who captures a feral woman, to theaters this weekend, also with the help of The Collective.
Low-budget horror has enjoyed a vogue not just with hardcore fans but in mainstream Hollywood, with the microbudget ‘Paranormal Activity’ turning into a blockbuster franchise that to date has grossed more than $370 million worldwide.
The Collective was founded by Michael Green, a former partner at the Hollywood powerhouse the Firm. It has used social media effectively before, appealing to fans of the band Linkin Park and the comedian Eddie Izzard with tools such as Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.
The management company is adept at looking for alternative ways to get attention for its films too: On the day we visited the offices, Ron Artest was there, and principals suggested that a copy of ‘The Woman’ be given to the Lakers star so he could help spread the word.
ALSO:
Bloody Disgusting now a producer, distributor
Horror sleeper You’re Next acquired by Lionsgate
--Steven Zeitchik
